A Texas man was arrested Thursday evening after Ark City Police responded to the report of a robbery at Casey’s General Store on north Summit.
33-year-old Daniel Reed Almon Colson, formerly of Gainesville, Texas, was booked into the Cowley County Jail on charges of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, two counts of aggravated assault with the intent to commit a felony and two counts of theft. Bond has been set at $32,000.
He remained in custody Friday morning.
Around 7:50 p.m. Thursday, officers of the Arkansas City Police Department were dispatched to Casey’s General Store located at 601 S. Summit Street for a report of a robbery in progress. Cowley County Emergency Communications personnel were able to gather and send out a clothing description of a white male who had threatened store employees with a knife and removed merchandise from the building.
Officers arrived just after the suspect fled the store.
Ark City Police Chief Eric Burr said that with the assistance of residents in the area, the suspect was tracked to a location where he had ducked down to hide in the 700 block South 1st Street. The man was confronted by officers and taken into custody without further incident.
Through the course of the investigation, it was determined that this was the same suspect responsible for a theft at the same store the day prior.
When management went to confront the man as he was exiting the store, he is said to have brandished a long knife and reportedly began to slash towards the employee. The employee was able to gain distance from the man, but the suspect then re-entered the store.
When the man went back inside, he began to demand money from the register. As he approached another employee, he again made demands before pocketing merchandise. That merchandise was later recovered on his person at the time of his arrest.
After a failed attempt to get into a register, he fled the store just as police were arriving in the area. The store was secured for a short time as evidence and statements were gathered.
No injuries were reported as a result of this incident.
Burr credits store employees and members of the Cowley County Emergency Communications for their quick actions in reporting the incident and remaining calm under pressure.
He offered a special thank you to the residents and witnesses who assisted officers in locating the suspect.
“Once located with the help of the community, the officers did a great job in taking the suspect safely into custody.”